After a short nap, I was ready to face the day. I checked in with Fernando to see if there was anything outside that needed my attention. There wasn’t so I let it be. Thor and Loki were out hunting and could usually handle the smaller threats to the town.

I headed over to my garden where I was experimenting with the normal plants I had scavenged earlier. I was trying to grow magical versions of fruits and vegetables. The garden area was amazing. The air was thick with the scent of rich earth and vibrant vegetation, underscored by the subtle hum of magic at work.

I found Queen Seraphina overseeing a group of ants tending to the plants. I paused as I looked at the ants. “These one look different than before.”

“Good eye, my liege.” Queen Seraphina answered. “I am changing the workers to better fit the work you have tasked us with.”

“I wasn’t aware you could do that.” I responded.

“Verily.” Queen Seraphina said. “Our race is extremely versatile. I can make small changes, anything larger requires a new queen to take over the nest. It is how we have survived for so long. We run from failing world, to failing world, always seeking to hide. Every time we come to a new world, a new queen is born and we change ourselves to fit the environment.”

I thought about it moment. “Does that mean you are a new queen?”

“Yes.” Queen Seraphina told me with sadness in her voice. “However, that gnome stole my potential when he mind controlled me and started sending out my ants to seize and conquer.”

“I am sorry to hear that.” I consoled Queen Seraphina.

“I am not.” Queen Seraphina said. “It is how I came to be in your service. From darkness comes light. It is my honor to serve.”

“Any chance of pollinators?” I asked Queen Seraphina. “I would really like honey to make mead.”

Queen Seraphina shook her head. “If you want honey, you need bees. Have you not been able to find them?”

“No.” I said. “It’s odd. Fernando can find everything else, but bees seem to be mostly absent. I am hesitant to send him too far away from the town though. He is a big part of my defense force.”

“I am sure it will work it out.” Queen Seraphina told me. “Would you like to see what we have grown since you last visited?”

“Yes.” I said. “I’d like to see what magic plants we have grown. If I can make mead, I can ferment this stuff no problem.”

Queen Seraphina took me through the magic garden. “The mango trees are doing well.” The mangoes shimmered with a golden hue. “We believe the will increase vitality to those who indulge in the fruit. Or the fruit can be used to increase vitality in enchantments and encampments.”

The apple trees sparkled with a faint silver light. Queen Seraphina continued with her explanation. “The tester ants indicated these apples increase intelligence and pull back the veil of universe.”

“These tomatoes glow with an inner fire.” Queen Seraphina said.

“So are they spicy?” I asked.

“We know not what spicy is.” Queen Seraphina answered.

I pulled a tomato off the stem and took a bite. The flesh was crisp and juice ran down my chin. Queen Seraphina was correct. It wasn’t spicy but caused a warmth to spread out from around my chest.

I continued down the line in the garden tasting all the vegetables and fruits. Carrots, rooted deep within the earth, radiated a soft, pulsating light, hinting at the power to grant night vision. Lettuce leaves unfurled in a dance, their vibrant green edges lined with a thin layer of frost, offsetting the warming of the tomatoes I had just eaten.

The banana plants stood tall, their leaves whispering secrets of agility and speed to those who partook of their enchanted fruit. Potato plants, unassuming in appearance, held the promise of immense strength, their tubers dense with magical energy.

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Onion bulbs, nestled in the ground, were a marvel, each layer peeling away to reveal insights into the eater's future. Strawberries sparkled like rubies, their sweetness capable of healing minor wounds. Bell peppers, vibrant and colorful, offered a shield against magical exhaustion when consumed.

Cucumbers, cool and refreshing, were now imbued with the ability to restore hydration and balance to the body’s energies. Coffee beans, dark and rich, crackled with energy, promising to enhance magical focus and clarity. Mushrooms, in their secluded corner, glowed with a soft, ethereal light, offering glimpses into other realms in dreams.

Lastly, the rice plants swayed gently, their grains glistening with a gentle luminescence, promising sustenance that would fortify both body and spirit against the elements.

“This is a really good job, Queen Seraphina.” I complimented my ant queen. “These plants are amazing, thank you for you and your brood for taking care of these plants.”

“It is nothing, my liege.” Queen Seraphina answered. “All this wouldn’t be possible without your mana and this land.”

“Thank you.” I replied. “What do you think I should do next?”

“Whatever you wish, my liege.” Queen Seraphina answered.

I laughed. “Never change, my lady.”

I wandered off to work on some other things. I want to make some stuff. I had ideas of making barrels to hold liquids. Cloth for Maya to weave. I could also make some rope. You could never have enough rope. Maybe some crates. Barrels couldn’t hold everything.

I went over to examine the trees I had been growing. I didn’t think they were ready. I sighed, I would probably need to get some trees from outside. I quickly made my way out and started looking for an appropriate tree. I used my plants skills to sense the trees and plants around me to find the most suitable tree. I quickly sensed it would be Eldertree, the tree my Elderbark came from. I knew that wouldn’t work. I cast my senses out and decided to experiment with my magic. I knew I was pretty handy with roots, and I could mana to grow and change plants, but how far did my control over plants go?

I gathered a variety of plants and trimmed branches from several different types of trees. Evergreen and broadleaf trees alike. I went back inside to the dimensional shard and replanted the plants I had found outside.

I was excited to experiment. I look over my garden and decided to start with the apples. I liked apples. That would be something fun to play with.

The apple tree stood unassuming yet ripe with possibility, a perfect canvas for the magic I was eager to weave. As I placed my hands upon the bark of the apple tree, I closed my eyes and allowed my consciousness to sink into the very essence of the plant. Mana flowed from my palms, a visible stream of life force that seeped into the tree, encouraging growth at an unnatural pace. Days melded into one another, indistinguishable as I remained in a trance like state, my entire being focused on the transformation before me.

When I finally stepped back, the apple tree stood fully grown, branches heavy with fruit. The sight filled me with a profound sense of accomplishment and a deep, unyielding exhaustion. I had poured so much of myself into the tree, and while the result was miraculous, it had drained me of my lifeforce. I felt strangely hollow.

Acknowledging the toll my magic had taken, I realized I had made a mistake. I should not have done this sort of magic inside the dimensional shard. This place was supported by my soul and was sort of a spiritual soul space. The magic I cast had drawn deeply upon myself.

I stepped out of the dimensional shard and immediately felt better. The aching in my soul lessened but did not disappear. I laid down among the roots of the trees in my forest home and slumbered. While I slumbered, I slowly sank into the earth. I consciously did not know what to do, but a part of my soul did.

I found solace underground, where the cool, dark soil embraced me, replenishing my depleted energies. As I lay there, I dreamed of the elemental balance that governed not just my magic, but life itself.

The triangle of power: earth, air, fire and water, each element played a crucial role in the world’s harmony and in my own abilities as a druid. Fire required air to burn, water could extinguish fire, the earth needed water to foster life, and air carried the seeds of life across the earth. This elemental interplay mirrored the balance I sought within my own practice of magic.

Emerging from my restorative slumber, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and understanding. To wield my abilities with responsibility and wisdom, I must respect the delicate balance of the elements. Just as I had focused my mana into the earth to grow the apple tree, I must also learn to harness the powers of air, fire and water, each in turn, to maintain the equilibrium within myself and the magic I wielded.

I realized I needed to balance my manipulation of the elements to maintain balance both within myself and in the world around me. This journey wasn’t just about growing magical plants or crafting with enchanted wood; it was about understanding the deeper connections between all elements and how they could be harnessed to protect, heal, and possibly restore balance to a world that had been shaken by the cataclysmic events of the Lightning.

But first, I needed to see how much time I had missed. I couldn’t, well, I could but I shouldn’t disappear for extended periods of time. At least Thor and Loki were out and about protecting the survivors.